


The Astronomy Project

by OtterReads



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Marauders, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Pranks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:07:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27982035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OtterReads/pseuds/OtterReads
Relationships: Minor James Potter/Lily Evans - Relationship, Minor Sirius Black/Remus Lupin - Relationship
Kudos: 2





	The Astronomy Project

Hope was walking down Diagon Alley. She had come alone this year, she only needed a new tie and maybe an extra quill. Then, a hand grabbed her shoulder and turned her around as someone called “Lily!”

Remus looked at her for a second and instantly started apologizing. “God, Hope, I am so sorry I did this again. I just saw your hair and thought you were Lily. How was your summer?”

Hope smiled at him, after a year she had grown used to being confused with Lily when her back was turned. Remus always apologized profusely, though. “It’s okay Rem, don’t worry about it. Summer was all right, boring, as usual.” She laughed softly before asking him the same question.

“Oh well, Peter and I spent a few weeks at the Potter’s, and Sirius came home for a couple of weeks too, so I guess it was mostly busy.” He smiled at the memories, his eyes lighting up. “Well, I have to go look for the others before they set something on fire. It was lovely seeing you. See you tomorrow on the train?”

“Yeah, no problem. See you tomorrow.” He disappeared in the crowd and she was left staring wonderingly behind him. It always amazed her how kind Remus was to everyone. She remembered the astronomy project from the previous year and couldn’t suppress a loud laugh.

_Professor Ephemeris had given them a group assignment the other night. They had to research the history of a constellation and study its movements over the curse of the term. And they had to do it in groups of three. Hope didn’t know exactly how she had ended up in Remus Lupin and Sirius Black’s group. The only thing she knew was that Remus had smiled kindly at her and that Sirius had sat on her table and poked her shoulder until she had agreed to team up with them. And obviously, Sirius wanted to make the project about the Dog constellation, which incidentally was called Sirius. Hope sighed for the seventh time that hour and exclaimed “Fine! We’ll study Sirius, now just let me concentrate please.” Her cauldron was sizzling alarmingly._

_“Maybe you should stir a bit harder, I think you’re being too gentle,” said Remus casually over the book he was reading. Exasperated, Hope flicked her wand murmuring a Vanishing spell, and turned to look at Sirius, who was biting his lip excitedly. When she looked at him, he started to take his shirt off._

_“What the hell are you doing?” She asked, now beyond annoyed._

_“You said we’d study Sirius so I thought we could start by admiring his gorgeous body,” he winked at her and was about to take the shirt completely off when a soft grunt from Remus stopped him. “We’ve talked about this, Padfoot.” Sirius just laughed heartily. He kissed Remus’s cheek, tugged at her ponytail, and then he was gone through the portrait hole. Hope sighed again. “How do you put up with him all the time?” She asked exasperated._

_“Well, he’s not like that all the time, only when he wants something.” He giggled. “Do you want help with the Amortentia potion?”_

The train was packed full, like every year. Hope couldn’t find Sickle, her white cat. He had disappeared behind a little rat half an hour earlier and now he seemed to have vanished. She saw a compartment door open and heard James Potter’s voice, “Wormtail, mate, you ratted us out to a cat.” The other boys laughed. Hope walked in to find Remus scratching Sickle’s ears.

“Finally, I thought I’d never find you.” She said picking the cat up from Remus’ lap. “How was the summer, boys?”

“Amazing, you’d have loved Remus’ place, the stars shine even brighter than at Hogwarts!!” Sirius said excitedly. In a second he had dragged her inside the compartment and pushed her into a seat next to him. He started talking non-stop about the summer and the pranks they had been planning for that year. At some point, Lily showed up at the door and kind of rescued her.

“Hope! You found Sickle! Marlene was starting to worry he had jumped off the train.”

“He’s murderous, not suicidal.” Joked Peter.

“Hi there, Evans,” smiled James.

“There you are, Potter. I was looking for you.” James couldn’t hide his surprise. “You were?” he said numbly. “Well, of course, we have to start our rounds. Aren’t you the Head Boy?”

“Oh, right, yes, indeed, the rounds, of course.” He was stuttering so bad Sirius had to hide his face on Hope’s shoulder to muffle a loud laugh. Lily waved at her and dragged James behind her. “It’s around time those two realized their feelings, isn’t it?” Hope smiled, the whole school was waiting for ‘those two’ to get together. And, after last year, she was expecting James’ name to pop up almost every night in the girls’ dormitory.

Sirius looked up at her. “By the way, Spoir, will you help us with the first prank of the year?”

“What did you just call me?” Her guard had been down, and, like always, Sirius had surprised her again.

“He’s been calling you that all summer. It’s the French word for your name. He said that we all had nicknames and that you deserved one too because you’re part of the group since last year.” Remus smiled at her, his eyes gleaming. Sirius just beamed at her, “Will you help us then?” And Hope could only laugh.

_“Guys, what are you doing?” Hope was carrying her telescope down to the common room when she saw the boys gathered around a table with some sort of map between them. “Weren’t we supposed to go to the Astronomy Tower tonight?”_

_“Was it tonight?” Sirius asked horrified. “Bloody hell, we forgot Moony!”_

_“I didn’t forget it, but you hadn’t told me you wanted to do this tonight,” Remus answered, good-naturedly._

_“But it’s April Fools’ week, Moony!” Sirius whined. Hope sighed. It seemed she was doing that more often since she had started hanging out with Sirius and Remus. She had turned around to go and put the telescope away when Sirius grabbed her hand. “We’ll make it up to you, Hope, I promise, I’m so sorry.”_

_“Never mind, I’ll just finish my transfiguration essay.” She smiled at him, it was hard to be mad at Sirius._

_“That’s boring. Wanna help us out?” His eyes were shining, and her smile only got wider. “About time you asked. What are you planning?”_

“You want to start a food fight?” She couldn’t believe it. “At the welcome feast?” It was way too simple. “Isn’t that too simple for you guys?”

“That’s what James said at first. But then Peter pointed out we’d never had a food fight at Hogwarts, which is outrageous.” Remus talked calmly, but there was a hint of excitement underneath that Hope had learned to recognize.

“And think about it,” added Peter, “no one will expect it because it is the welcoming feast. Besides, I reckon it will make the first-years feel a bit more comfortable and at home. And imagine the faces of the muggle-borns, they will be thrilled.” The last word came out a bit squeaky, he was also really excited.

“All right, count me in. But it doesn’t need a lot of planning, does it?”

“It does if you want it to be real fun.” Sirius’ smile turned mischievous in a second and he started telling her their detailed plan.

_Sirius walked fast in front of her. The corridors were empty already and they were running late. The plan was madness. Hope had no clue how the boys had come up with that crazy idea, but she didn’t care. It was perfect. Sirius turned left and they suddenly were there, the door to the Slytherin common room. Remus had been sent to Ravenclaw’s, and Peter and James had gone to Hufflepuff’s. They all had a little puzzle piece which they had to transfigure into a snake, an eagle, and a badger. The little animals were enchanted so that they would turn the hair of anyone who happened to say the password the color of their house. A little lion was going to be placed at Gryffindor’s door too to avoid suspicions, but only after all of them were back inside their common room._

_“Do you have the puzzle piece?” Sirius asked. Hope handed it to him and clutched her wand a little tighter. She was supposed to be the lookout. She saw the little snake positioned in a corner, ready, and couldn’t repress a smile. It was amazing. “Come on, run along miss, there’s nothing to see her.” Sirius winked and took her hand to drag her back to the common room._

_The next morning they saw a couple of Hufflepuffs with bright yellow hair having breakfast and talking fast. Hope overheard that apparently the color couldn’t be removed with magic. That night though, there was a sea of colors at the house tables. Marlene’s hair was redder even than Lily’s or Hope’s. She was furious, but Lily and Hope were distracted by a couple of Slytherin girls who were comforting a second-year Ravenclaw whose eyebrows had turned blue as well. It was amazing, even a couple of teachers had their hair dyed, and it seemed James couldn’t stop laughing at Professor Sprout. Her hair was canary yellow but it looked like it didn’t bother her. Actually, she had dressed up in purple robes just so it stood out even more, and was cheerfully talking with Professor McGonagall._

_The dye, as they discovered later, came off after two or three showers. But the little animals waited at the doors all week, enchanting everyone’s hair._

James was sitting between Lily and Peter and it seemed like he was about to jump off the bench. “Hey, James, cool down, you’ll give us away” Hope whispered to him. “Right, sorry.” The sorting was almost over. Then Professor Dumbledore would say a few words and the feast would begin. Hope, Sirius, and Peter were meant to throw a plate of mashed potatoes to the other tables. And then James would shout his line and everything would be chaos in a matter of seconds.

The food materialized in front of them. Sirius began filling his plate with potatoes, casually. Once they were all served, the plates flew, one to each table. And then came James scream “FOOD FIGHT!!” And it was all chaos. Puddings flew above their heads. Marlene’s hair was drenched in sauce and she was daubing Hope’s face with pasta. She heard Dumbledore’s laugh and Professor Sprout encouraging a shy Hufflepuff first-year. And she heard Remus laughing at Sirius, who had just been attacked by Peter with a lamb leg and was dramatically dying next to her.


End file.
